Escaflowne: The Legacy
by coolpriss
Summary: …A girl in search of her identity…a puissance quietly bidding its time…as it awoke, it claimed her…she who lacks in spirit…yet holds their hearts…*Chaps1-5 up!*Girl goes to Gaea then finds herself in the middle of a war...with a different twis
1. Prologue

Escaflowne: The Legacy

By coolpriss

…A girl in search of her identity…a puissance quietly bidding its time…as it awoke, it claimed her…she who lacks in spirit…yet holds their hearts…

A/N: This is sort of a sequel to the TV series, although it will have a different theme you read along. I can't explain anything yet, as sooner or later, everything shall be clarified hopefully. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask it in your reviews and if it's not gonna give away the story, then I'll try to answer it. I posted the first five chapters, I'll post the next ones soon. Please read and review!!! I really, really need it!!! Oh, and this was also known before as _For the Love of Gaea_, revised, and nearly completed.

Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Escaflowne or any of it's original characters. What I DO own is this fic including the new characters here. This disclaimer is in effect for the whole fic.

****

Prologue

She walked happily on the dusty path, humming to herself as she neared the market of the small town. She couldn't believe it at first -- it was too good to be true. Her older brother finally allowed her to go alone! They were in desperate need for some chives, an herb that could be used as a spice and for medical purposes as well. Everyone was either working on the Crusade, which was under heavy reconstruction, or else in bed. There was a flu going around, so they needed the essence. Allen refused at first, but Gaddes and the others talked him into it. 

__

I'm not a little girl anymore, she thought as she looked at some weird items the gypsies had in their stand. They had a rock that turns hot to tell if a person is lying (according to the fat lady with a thick accent -- why not try it at her?! ^_^), a gold-and-silver medallion from the North and some other jewelry, potions of all sorts, and plenty of other stuff, including a "Draconian" feather that looks suspiciously looks like the real thing. _Why does Allen always treat me as if I couldn't take care of myself? I'm old enough to have my own family! But he wouldn't even allow me go to the market alone!_

She sighed and went to the herb stand. _I guess I shouldn't blame him for trying to protect me. He's just doing his job as my older brother. He said he's just making up for all those years…years that I simply cannot remember…_She rubbed her head as a goat-man arranged the dark green herbs into a bottle. She smiled politely at him when he handed her the jar, and slowly made her way back to their fort, near Fanelia's border. _Why can't I remember a thing? Nobody really tells me anything. But I have a strong feeling I played an important role on that great Gaean war. Why was I on that guymelef? Why do I have these flashbacks that I couldn't understand? And the voices… Who am I really? Why can't I remember anything?!_

All of a sudden, the bottle of chives shattered on the ground. The girl dropped on her knees, her light blue eyes wide with fear and confusion. She was breathing heavily, her hands gripping her wavy light blond hair, almost tearing it from her scalp. The busy market was hushed with shocked silence as they stared bewilderedly at the beautiful girl at the middle of the road. The silenced was shattered with an excruciating scream. 

"STOP! Please…stop…STOP…MAKE THEM STOP…!" the girl cried frantically, pounding her head on the ground. Several onlookers rushed to her side, and tried to calm her down. But she wouldn't budge. Her fingers were white and cold as ice, and were still grasping her shoulder-length hair. Her eyes were now of a wild, almost white, light blue. Blood was trickling down her pale, distorted face as she battled with her unstable mind. In her head were a flurry of images--guymeleves…faces of young men in armors…cities burning…steel claws sprouting everywhere… a field…a butterfly…a young boy calling out to her… Voices where everywhere…calling her…and another name…a strangely familiar name…Then her mind focused on something…someone…such a kind face…

"Jajuka…" she whispered. Her light blond hair has turned silvery white. Her sky blue eyes were slowly turning that of blood red. She felt pain slicing through her right cheek. "Jajuka…JAJUKA…!" a male voice was now mixed with that of the girl. "JAJUKAAA!!!!"

The crowd gathered around the screaming girl watched in stunned silence as a guymelef formed in front of their eyes and scooped the hysterical figure, still screaming and crying. And as quickly as it appeared, the red guymelef was gone, along with the girl.

~~~***~~~

__

It's been quite a long time…sometimes I wonder…was it all just my imagination…No…it was real…I couldn't have just dreamt those times…the feeling…him…

The elevator stopped at the fourth floor. The doors opened and she got out. She walked slowly, looking carefully at the numbers on the doors. She stopped on room 406. Voices could be heard inside. She knocked softly. Hearing a muffled "Come in", she opened the door slowly and stepped into the room.

"Hitomi!" a handsome young man welcomed her.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Kanzaki," she returned the warm welcome. "And you too, little miss Kanzaki," she addressed the tiny baby on the hands of her brother.

Hitomi placed the bouquet of flowers she had been carrying on the table along with the basket of fruits. "How's your back now, Reika-chan?"

"A lot better, thank you. You're in luck, Hitomi. She's been up for half an hour now and looks like she was waiting just for you," the tired but happy young mother sitting on the bed, behind a tower of pillows told her.

"Oh, really now?" she smiled at the baby girl, looking at her from behind her father.

"Here. Hold her for a sec.," the young man in a business suit handed the small child to her.

"Aw, she's so cute!" Hitomi held out her arms and carefully held the baby close to her. Then a flash of light blinded her, causing her to almost loose her balance. 

"Hitomi, are you alright?" her brother supported her right arm. 

"Yeah…I…I'm fine," she replied, still a bit dazed.

"Here, let me help you," the young man got the baby from Hitomi's trembling hands, and handed her back to her mother. He went back to Hitomi and led her to a nearby chair.

"Are you sure you're okay, Hitomi?" he asked again, once she sank into the hospital chair. "I can call a nurse, if you want…"

"No, you don't have to do that, Kenji," she reassured him. Her hand went instinctively on a chain underneath her cream-colored blouse. "I'm fine…it was probably the…stress…the track finals are taking up a lot of time than I thought…" she smiled weakly at her brother and sister-in-law.

"If you say so, Hitomi…" his hazel brown eyes doubtfully examined her emerald green ones.

"I'm fine," she repeated, more to herself this time.

~~~***~~~

"But my King…" the advisor followed him to his room.

"Enough," he told him firmly. "I shall be the one to decide when, and most importantly, WHO I'm going to marry, is that understood?" He glared at one of his advisors, Hubert. 

He turned around and went inside his room. They had been plaguing him to marry someone ever since Fanelia's restoration was almost complete.

__

But they are right, he thought to himself as he opened the glass doors that lead to his balcony. _Fanelia **does **need a queen. Especially now that the reconstruction is almost finished. _

He took out the pendant hanging from his neck and stared at the pink crystal for a while. _But how can I marry someone I do not love? How can marry someone not **you**? _

He balled his hands over the pendant and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander back to those days…

~~~***~~~

__

I can't believe it. That was the first time I had a vision ever since…

Hitomi was sitting at the bus, her right elbow on top of the seat's armrest, her face resting on the palm of her hand. She was looking at the passing scenery of tall glass buildings, but not really seeing anything. 

__

It wasn't much of a vision, though. I don't remember anything. It was more of a flash of light. But what could it possibly mean? I was holding her in my arms…could it be her? Could it be that she's…connected…to Gaea? I mean, I **was** thinking of Gaea…of Van…

Then she wondered what brought it all back. It has been a long time…she couldn't even remember the details anymore. But she could never forget. She thought it had lapsed from her consciousness, but when the little girl on the elevator asked her if she had ever seen an angel, she didn't quite know what to say. His deep, reddish brown eyes, his dark black hair, his soft white wings…it all came back to her with unexpected vividness and clarity.

The bus stopped. Hitomi stood up and got off the bus. Her hand was still grasping the object underneath her blouse, hanging from the thin gold chain around her neck. She slowly started to walk to her house. It was the same house she had lived in for twenty-four years. Both her mother and father passed away, a couple of years back, on a plane crash. They were on their way back from their second honey moon, right after her brother's graduation. Both she and her brother were devastated. She was tempted to call Van…to tell him to take her back to Gaea…away from Earth…far away from her parent's death… But she knew she couldn't just leave her brother alone. But now, **_he_** was the one who left her. Her brother married just over a year ago, and moved to their new place, a few streets from her own, leaving her alone in that house. 

__

Oh, Van…I miss you…

~~~***~~~

The gem in his fist started to light. He opened his hand and stared at it for a moment. Then he shifted his gaze to the sky, the Mystic Moon, in particular.

__

Hitomi…are you thinking of me too?

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

A/N: Yeah, yeah. I know Jajuka's dead. Just continue reading and you'll understand it…it's gonna be explained in later chapters, kay? Now, on to the next chapter! --- ^_^


	2. A Sense of Forboding

Escaflowne: The Legacy

By: coolpriss

…A girl in search of her identity…a puissance quietly bidding its time…as it awoke, it claimed her…she who lacks in spirit…yet holds their hearts…

****

A Sense of Foreboding

__

Who am I really? What's the purpose of my living? I'm practically good for nothing anyway. No one would really miss me if I would suddenly disappear, or something…I bet no one would even notice…or care…

Her emerald eyes shifted to her back without turning her head. The two girls behind her were whispering and giggling. The teacher droned on and on without noticing. She sighed. _Oh, Ayame can whisper and giggle all she wants, and the teacher wouldn't even care. She's the math whiz afterall. Ayame's got everything…looks, brains, sense of humor, friends, and most of all, loads of money. _Behind her, the other girl almost laughed out loud, she started to choke. _Typical Karu…always laughing. _She rolled her eyes, half smiling. _Oh, everybody loves Karu. She could play almost any kind of sport. You name it, she can play it. Not only play, heck, she's good! True, she laughs at anything, especially those really embarrassing moments, but she makes fun of everybody and everyone accepts that and just laughs along. Besides, her giggles are contagious! _Now, her coughs became louder and more urgent. Her face was bright red, but she was still giggling. Even the quiet girl beside her who was attentively taking down notes on her laptop looked behind and smiled. _Yoake…_She glanced at the girl on her left, who was smiling shyly and incredulously at the two. _She's everybody's friend. Quiet and sensitive. The type you could tell all your secrets to without worrying about the whole school knowing the next day. She's also one of the smartest on our class. Almost always getting the highest grades. If you don't know her, you'd think she's extremely shy and even obnoxious or indifferent, but she's actually sweet and full of energy. _She shook her head as Ayame finally reached out and slapped Karu's back hard, which ended the coughing. At the same time, the bell sounded. _Jealous?…yeah…probably…why couldn't I be more like them…happy…_She sighed. It's time to return to her old, boring self.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Whew! I'm glad THAT's over!" Kanzaki Myaku stretched her arms and stood from her chair. Her eyes hurt from the bright light coming from her laptop. She never really liked Math. She saved her notes in the disk and closed the program and her laptop, stuffing her "notes" into her backpack then slung it over her right shoulder and turned to her friends. 

"Let's go," she told the three whispering girls in front of her. Then they burst into laughter. Actually, the two were giggling but one was laughing hysterically.

"What's going on? You've been laughing almost the whole period, Karu, Ayame. Why are you guys laughing?" she asked, smiling good-naturedly.

"Did you see his face?" the girl with short, curly dark brown hair asked her between her hysterical laughter.

"Who?!" Myaku demanded, looking from one girl's face to the others. "Who?!"

"Sshh! Stop it, Karu! Stop laughing!" the beautiful red haired girl tugged on Karu's arm, pulling her out their classroom door. 

Myaku, getting frustrated, turned to the other girl. 

"What is it?! C'mon, Yoake! Tell me something!" 

The girl just smiled and shook her head, her long chestnut hair bobbing slightly. "It's nothing, Myaku, really," she told her with a twinkle in her light brown eyes, following the other two. 

Myaku's frown grew deeper. "Yoake…" she called out to the girl, running to keep up with her.

"C'mon, you guys, tell me what happened!" Myaku grabbed the still-laughing Karu's hand. "What is it?!" she demanded.

"Oh, poor, naïve Myaku…" Karu managed to say between fits of laughter.

"WHAT?!" This time, Myaku glared at the redhead beside Karu. "Ayame…" she muttered in an icy tone.

"Okay, okay," Ayame gave in with a mischievous smile. "I'll tell you outside."

The four girls walked to the entrance of their school without a word, with Karu giggling constantly, and Myaku giving them dagger looks, which all the more causes Karu to chortle uncontrollably, until Ayame pinches her, or Yoake jerks her backpack.

Once they reached the front steps, Myaku faced her three so-called friends. 

"WHAT?!"

"Promise me you won't get mad?" Ayame asked her friend.

Myaku responded by giving her an icy glare.

"Okay, okay!" Ayame leaned over to Myaku. "Makoto has a huge crush on you," she whispered.

"What?!" Myaku's frown returned. "And where did you get _that_ idea? That's not true, and you know it!"

Karu started laughing again, but stopped when she saw her friend's scowl. "It _is_ true, Myaku! And it's so obvious, too. Didn't you notice, he's always trying to impress you. Besides, nobody could possibly miss the way he looks at you when you're not looking."

"He's known for his big mouth and oh-so-gallant ways. He wants to impress _everybody_, not just me! Sheesh, you guys! You know nobody takes him seriously! That's just the way he is!" Myaku threw her hands in exasperation. 

"Oh, really, huh? You really think that?" Karu's voice dropped to a whisper. "Then look behind you. He's _staring_, I tell you!"

Myaku shook her head, but looked anyway. She caught the official class pain looking at her with his dark, know-it-all eyes. But his eyes didn't lock with hers; it scanned the whole area, in its usual proud yet casual way.

"See?" Myaku shook her head again, annoyed. They're doing it again. They're always doing this to her: teasing her, matching her up with the weirdest kid they could find, that sort of thing. And it can get really tiring. But _they_ never seem to get tired of it. That is, Karu and Ayame. Yoake rarely ever joins them in their everyday quest to make her uncomfortable. But she's joining them now. And yep, they're her friends.

Karu was once again laughing ardently behind her, with Ayame now joining her. Yoake was losing the battle of self-control, and was also in a fit of giggles. Myaku started to walk away, taking huge steps, to the opposite direction, leaving her friends behind. Her face was burning, and her blood was boiling.

Karu, Ayame and Yoake ran to catch up with her. 

"Myaku, we're sorry," Yoake told her when they caught up with her.

"Yeah, Myaku, c'mon, don't get mad," Ayame pleaded.

"Yeah, besides, didn't they say that a person usually gets mad if it's true…Ow!" Karu rubbed her stomach, where Ayame elbowed her. 

Myaku ignored them and walked faster. 

"Myaku…" Yoake pleaded. 

"I'm not mad," the fuming girl muttered, tucking a stray strand of light brown hair behind her ears.

The timid, hazel eyed girl took hold of her arm, forcing her to stop. 

"Myaku…" Yoake tried to say something but it came in wheezes. 

"It's okay, Yoake," she softened. "I'm not mad." Then she added with a light scowl, "at you, that is."

" Hey, come on, Myaku! Look, we're sorry. We really are. It's just that--" Ayame started but Karu cut in.

"--It _is_ true, and it _IS_ funny, and we simply can't help laughing. Forgive us?" Karu batted her eyelashes, trying to form tears in her light brown eyes. 

Myaku just shook her head in exasperation. She knew she couldn't stay mad with her friends for long. Besides, she's pretty much used to them by now.

"Why are you always doing this to _me_?" she groaned.

"But we're not doing anything! It's true, Myaku, I swear!" Ayame declared, her lips twitching. "Tell her, Yoake!"

Myaku looked at Yoake, and the quiet girl nodded, smiling.

Myaku just rolled her eyes and groaned again.

"Told you so! Why won't you…" Karu stopped when she saw someone approach them.

"You're standing practically in the middle of the track field," a familiar voice told them. 

"Kanzaki-sensei!" the four girls chorused. 

"What is it, Kanzaki Myaku?" the woman with short, light brown hair regarded her niece. "You look, well, kind of flustered." 

Karu started to giggle; this time, two elbows struck her stomach. 

Myaku's face turned crimson again. "It's nothing, Coach. Oh, yeah, by the way, dad told me to ask you if you could stay with us tonight. He and mom took off this morning on a family emergency. Grandma slipped and almost broke her pelvis. She's just so stubborn! Anyway, dad said he would probably be back tomorrow, but mom might stay longer. They took sweet little Hikaru with them, and left me alone with Dai, the brat," she frowned as she recalled the scene earlier that morning.

Hitomi smiled. "That's alright with me. I'll be there right after track practice. Speaking of which, get off the track course now, or else we'll never even get to start."

"Hai, Sensei," the four girls waved goodbye to the middle-aged coach of the track team.

~~~***~~~

Hitomi tried to push the feeling aside, but it simply won't go away. It was as if something…important was going to happen today. She pressed the button on the stopwatch hanging on her neck as one of her fastest runners whizzed passed her. 

"Fourteen point zero two seconds," she told the panting boy. "Not bad, but not too good either. I told you, try not kicking too much on the beginning. Relax." She gently patted the boy on his back. Then in a louder voice, she told her team, "We're going to have our practice the same tomorrow. The annual track competition starts a few of weeks from now. I'm going to expect perfect attendance in all of our upcoming practices, okay? You guys want to win that gold don't you? Practice, people! Okay, that's it for today." She dismissed her team and took her stopwatch and whistle from her neck. 

Then she saw it again. The flash of light that appeared fifteen years ago. She grasped the stopwatch and her whistle in her hand tightly.

__

I'm sure it's a vision. It just happened…too…fast…I couldn't understand it…I didn't see it clearly…

~~~***~~~

Myaku stepped onto the platform. A green light inspected her eye. After a few seconds, she heard the word "granted" and her profile ran on the tiny computer screen on their front door. The door opened, turning on their power supply that automatically turns off after they leave their house.

She stepped inside the living room and went directly to the kitchen. She got a glass, filled it with water, and gulped it down. With a relieved sigh, she placed the empty glass down and headed for her room upstairs. 

"Well, at least Dai's not yet home. I can finally have some quiet time by myself," she muttered. 

She was still pissed off about the incident that afternoon, but decided to push the thought aside. She opened her bedroom door and practically threw herself on the bed. She stayed like that, face down, eyes closed on the bed, for a few minutes, then she slowly sat up. She put her backpack on the floor. She was about to get out of her school uniform when an open sketchbook near her window got her attention. She stood up and walked towards it. She was slightly frowning when she heard a boyish voice call her name downstairs. 

__

Dai, she groaned inwardly. "What is it?" she called back.

"I'm going over Yosai 's house for a while," a light brown head popped in her room. He smiled mischievously. "I don't wanna _interrupt_ the _ARTIST_ while she works," he said sarcastically, making a face.

Myaku rolled her emerald green eyes. She folded her arms in front of her. "Be back before dark. Aunt Hitomi's gonna be here…"she called to her running brother.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the light brown-eyed boy shouted over his shoulder as he slammed the front door shut.

Myaku rolled her eyes again, and went back to her canvas. 

"Not enough light," she muttered, as she tucked the sketchpad under her left arm, while she hurriedly dumped her art materials on her backpack, shrugging it over her other shoulder. She ran down their stairs and onto their backyard. She just loved to work out there, with the cool breeze around her filling her with the wonderful smell of freshness coming from her mother's flowers and plants. She let the bag fell onto the small patch of grassy land while she set her pad down on the metal table. She grabbed a chair and flopped down on it, balancing her tilted work on her lap and behind the edge of the table. She folded her arms and crossed her legs, looking skeptically at her rough drawing. 

"Something's missing…" she muttered. She got a pencil and made a few changes. She was working intently at this and didn't notice her aunt standing behind her, until she heard a short gasp. She looked behind, and saw her aunt, staring open-mouthed at her drawing. 

"Oh, hi, Coach," Myaku greeted her aunt with a smile. "I know this isn't my style…but, well, I just keep on having dreams like this so I decided to draw it, and get it out of my system…"Myaku babbled while she erased a small line from the huge beast's heart. "Something's still not right though," she sighed, looking back at Hitomi, noticing for the first time that she was still staring at her sketch, her mouth hanging and her face deathly pale.

"Aunt Hitomi! Are you alright?" she asked getting up from her chair so quickly, it fell back. "Aunt Hitomi!"

Hitomi just continued to stare at the rough lines on the sheet of paper, forming a huge robot-like machinery with a dark forest behind it, and the moon and earth suspended on the sky above it.

"Aunt Hitomi!" Myaku was shaking her aunt, her own face becoming pale.

Hitomi finally focused on the frightened girl in front of her. "I…I'm fine, Myaku…" she whispered. "I'm fine…"

"What is it, Aunt Hitomi?" Myaku looked into those pair of green eyes, so identical to hers. 

"It's nothing…Myaku…nothing…" Hitomi stammered. She looked at her niece's concerned face, then to the paper. "How…"

"I saw it in a dream," Myaku answered, not taking her eyes off her aunt. "There's even a name floating in my head…"

"Escaflowne…" Hitomi murmured.

"Yes…Escaflowne…but how…" Myaku watched, frowning as her aunt drew in a deep, shaky breath.

"Myaku, I have something to tell you…" Hitomi started, her sad eyes fixing on the girl who looked so much like she did, when she was her age. "Remember when you were young, you used to ask me why I never married?" 

Myaku nodded her head, listening curiously to her aunt. "Yeah, you told me it was because the man you love lives far away, and that it was impossible for the two of you to be together."

Hitomi smiled sadly. "That was true. He lived far away…in a place called Gaea…he was the one piloting that robot…guymelef, as they call it…"

"What? What do you mean, Aunt Hitomi?" Myaku's confused eyes looked at her sketch for a second then turned back to Hitomi.

"Just hear me out first, Myaku…please…"

Myaku nodded. Hitomi continued.

"His name is Van Fanel, the king of Fanelia. And that," Hitomi said, looking at the majestic mecha drawn by her niece's hands. "Is Escaflowne, his guymelef."

"Huh?" Myaku stared at her sketch, her brows furrowed in thought. _What is she talking about? It sounds impossible…even insane…but I know Aunt Hitomi never lied to me…and it…feels true…somehow…but I don't understand…_

At that moment, a bright light enveloped her. Hitomi stared in disbelief as her niece slowly floated on air.

"Wha…What's going on? Aunt Hitomi! Help me! Aunt Hitomi…" Myaku cried out, frantically spreading her arms towards Hitomi. 

Hitomi froze. Then a look of sadness filled her face. She reached out her hand to touch Myaku, but she didn't hold her back. She just squeezed her niece's hand then let go. "It's gonna be alright, Myaku…everything's gonna be fine…" she said with such a sad smile, her emerald eyes watering.

Myaku desperately tried to cling to her aunt's hand. "Aunt Hitomi…help…aunt Hitomi…"

Then the light was gone as quickly as it appeared. And so was Myaku. 

Hitomi sat down in a heap. She ran her fingers on the exact place her niece's sketchpad had been, the drawing firmly etched in her mind, tears spilling from her emerald eyes down her pale cheeks. 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*


	3. A Mysterious World

Escaflowne: The Legacy

By coolpriss

…A girl in search of her identity…a puissance quietly bidding its time…as it awoke, it claimed her…she who lacks in spirit…yet holds their hearts…

****

A Mysterious World

The bright light blinded her eyes. She decided to close them. Her mind drifted off to what her aunt told her.

__

…far away…in a place called Gaea…

~~~***~~~

He was sitting on the balcony of the castle. As always, he was staring thoughtfully at the Mystic Moon. The air smelled warm and cold at the same time, sign of a brewing storm. He could hear faint thunder rolling like voices of angry gods. He closed his eyes. 

__

It has been quite a while…quite a while now…

He could feel the gem under his shirt glow. The warmth of the pendant tickled him. With his eyes still closed, he wrapped his left hand on the small stone and thought of her. Her light brown hair. Her emerald green eyes that seems to see right through his very soul. Her smile that always makes his heart melt. Her skin, her touch. A wistful smile formed on his weary face. He felt the pendant grew hotter and hotter. 

Light came from behind his closed eyes. He tried to open them, and then he saw it. The very same pillar of light that brought her to his world. The very same pillar of light that took her away from him. 

__

Could it be…

Van jumped up from his seat on the balcony railing. 

__

The light came from that forest. But that forest's too thick. I can't find her now, especially since its already dark. But I have to see her now, I need to. There is no other choice.

Van climbed onto the same place he sat earlier. He looked down. He started to lean forward, his arms embracing the wind, and let himself fall. He then, closed his eyes, and let the pair of silvery white wings spread from behind him. A snow of feathers surrounded him when he opened his reddish dark brown eyes. He was now soaring in the sky, a mixture of anxiety and determination on his handsome face.

__

I'm coming, Hitomi…

~~~***~~~

She felt her feet touch the soft ground. But she still didn't open her eyes. She let her knees sink on the grassy earth underneath her. She was tired…so tired…

~~~***~~~

He was leaning on his on his arms, against the wooden table of his quarters when he saw the light. He looked outside his window. No, he wasn't dreaming. There it was. Again. After all these years. She has come back. 

He slowly made his way to the command center of the ship. 

"Seen that, Boss," asked his second in command, and good friend. "It's been a while since we last saw her."

Allen Shezar nodded with a small smile. "Change course for a while. Let's check that one out."

"Knew you'd say that," Gaddes chuckled as he turned the steering wheel swiftly to the left. 

~~~***~~~

A few minutes passed. She didn't dare move. She tried to open her eyes again, this time slowly. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the dark surroundings.

__

Where am I? Is…is this…Gaea?

She looked towards the cloudy night sky. The moon was hanging majestically on the expanse of the heavens. But it wasn't alone. She also saw the Earth, just around the moon. 

__

What? Hey, wait a minute. Wasn't that exactly like the one in my dream? So…this IS Gaea…?

~~~***~~~

He saw her. He couldn't be mistaken. It _had_ to be her. The same unusual clothes…the same light brown hair…only now, it has grown up to her shoulders, with their edges softly pointing outwards… 

"Hitomi!" he whispered, his heart beating wildly. 

Then his exited face paled. He saw her glance up at the sky. It was then, he saw her eyes. The very same emerald green eyes…but something was different…something was not right…

~~~***~~~

She saw something move from behind her. She stiffened, watching carefully out of the corner of her eyes. She saw it again. This time she stood up quickly, turning around, her terrified emerald eyes darting back and forth from one man to the other.

"Hitomi…" she heard one of them call out to her. "It's me, Allen…don't you remember?"

**__**

Hitomi?

"She's not Hitomi," the other man told him. 

"What do you mean, Van?" the first man looked back at her, this time studying her closely. She blushed as the man's azure eyes gazed at her, and decided to look at the other one instead. Long dark hair covered almost half his face, she couldn't see his eyes. His upper body was bare and his muscular form glistened with the light from the moon. 

**__**

Van…? 

"You're right. She's not Hitomi…but she looks just like her…" she heard the man with the long silvery blond hair whisper. Then he smiled and took a step forward. "It's okay…we're not going to hurt you…"

She took a few steps back. Confusion was still evident on the pair of emerald green eyes. 

"Who…are you…where…what…How…how did you know…Aunt H-Hitomi…?" Myaku asked, her voice shaking, her hand balled in a fist around the sides of her skirt in an attempt to stop them from trembling. 

The other man, the one called Van, blinked. He looked at her thoughtfully. "So, you _do _know Hitomi?"

"Y-yes…she's…she's my aunt…" her fright was very slowly evaporating. Somehow, she felt at ease with him. With them. 

"My name is Allen Shezar, a retired Knight Caeli of the kingdom of Asturia," the owner of the azure eyes and long hair once again stepped closer to her. This time, she looked at him, baffled, but she didn't back away. "And he is Van Fanel, King of Fanelia."

"I…my…my…name is…Kanzaki Myaku…umm…you…you can call me Myaku," she stuttered, still a bit dazed. 

__

Knight…king…? Maybe this is all just a dream… She decided to pinch herself, just to be sure. Her eyes watered as she silently realized she wasn't dreaming.

Suddenly, she felt something from behind her. She turned around just in time to see a giant robot unveil itself from nothingness. 

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a sneering voice from inside the mecha addressed the three.

"Dilandau," Van breathed as he hurried in front of Myaku, his sword drawn. 

Myaku took a few more steps back. Allen was beside her, his hand on top of his still unsheathed sword.

"You're really not thinking of fighting me with that thing, are you, Van Fanel?" he continued, taking a giant step forward. He looked at the girl. "Hmm, looks like a reunion…now, ain't this the perfect timing?" he snickered. "I have the perfect present, too…" then he screamed, "Look, Van Fanel, your city is burning --AGAIN. How'd ya like that, huh, Van Fanel?" he laughed.

The three looked at the direction of Fanelia. Thick, dark smoke could be seen ascending through the already dark sky.

"Damn you, Dilandau! DAMN YOU!" Van cursed angrily as he leaped towards the mecha's cockpit, his sword high in the air.

"No, Van!" Allen tried to stop him, but was too late. Van landed hard on the ground as the robot flung its metal arm towards him.

Dilandau laughed harder, shifting into invisible mode. Van searched around him. He could detect the invisible guymeleves before -- Hitomi taught him how. But his anger was blocking his senses. 

A loud scream from behind him made him turn towards the girl. He searched his narrowed eyes around the girl but saw nothing. He saw her try to run, but tripped on what looks like a parchment of some sort. She grabbed the thing and stuffed it in a bag and started to run again, but was suddenly lifted to air. 

"Help! Help me!" the girl cried as she floated higher and higher.

"So long, Van Fanel… Allen Shezar…hope you liked my simple gift…" the sick laughter echoed through the dark forest.

~~~***~~~

He ran a gloved hand through his raven hair in frustration. Chaos was everywhere. Houses were burning. People are running in all directions. Children are crying. Invisible monsters are destroying his city and he couldn't do a thing. He slammed his clenched fist on one of the castle walls. 

"Where is he?" he muttered angrily. "Where on Gaea is he?!" 

He saw another one of Fanelia's guymeleves crash to the ground, destroying several properties that took years to be rebuilt. His dark red eyes flashed, and his jaw hardened. He ran to his room, on the far end of the palace hallway. He dived directly on his bed, and felt around under his pillows. He grabbed the circular object he was looking for and ran frantically outside the palace, into the temple on the opposite side. One of the advisers grabbed his hand and tried to stop him.

"My prince! What are you doing! You have to go back to the palace, immediately!" Hubert held on tightly on his right hand. 

He jerked his hand away and glared at the light-haired man. "I'm going to save Fanelia!"

"Prince! Come back!" the royal adviser was about to follow him when a hand rested on his shoulder.

"No, Hubert," the tall, slender figure of a cat-woman stepped beside him. "He's going to save Fanelia."

"Merle?" his deep blue eyes looked curiously at his wife, then back at the running boy. 

"He's just like him…" she mumbled, her long orange hair flying behind her. Then she blinked. "But how could that be…"

~~~***~~~

He resumed his pace, his right hand shielding his face from the falling debris everywhere. He grasped the item on his left hand tightly. He ran the temple steps two at a time. He felt a Fanelian guymelef covering him, trying to block the attacks of their invisible enemies. He reached the huge temple doors and banged the left side of his body in full force, in a hurried attempt to open the doorway. The left door slowly creaked open. He ran inside, just in time, as the Fanelian guymelef that was guarding him came smashing down the front steps of the temple. He stopped in front of a huge beast, his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. He gazed at the beautiful machinery in front of him. It was not yet his time, he knew. But he has to do something. With a determined look, he took off the leather glove on his left hand, and unsheathed his sword with his right. He ran the edges of his sword on the forefinger of his left hand. He watched as his blood made its way slowly down his palm, onto the pink sphere he had been holding. The energist on his hand started to glow. He noticed the patch of pink crystal on the huge guymelef glow as well.

"I, Basil Allbion de Fanel, prince of Fanelia, summon thee, Escaflowne…Arise and serve thy master!" he stepped close to the legendary guymelef, and placed the glowing energist in his hand into the fluid-like crystal on the left side of the machine. All at once, the beast's heartbeat echoed through the desert temple. 

"It's alive…" he murmured as he entered the cockpit that opened the moment his hand left the mecha's heart. 

~~~***~~~

"That's right, BURN!!!" Dilandau's shrill voice rang through the city. He laughed hard as he stroked the scar on his right cheek. He leaned forward and watched gleefully at the golden flames eating almost half of Faneila. Then a movement on the temple opposite of the castle caught his attention. A wall of the temple was blasted from the inside. He narrowed his eyes and faced that direction. He noticed a figure of a guymelef emerging through the smoke. 

"What the…how could that be possible…"

~~~***~~~

Myaku slowly opened her eyes. She couldn't see anything through the smoke. Her head felt heavy, and she couldn't breathe. Then she remembered. Steel claws were still around her body, although she couldn't see them. She felt her feet slowly falling asleep. Tears were forming behind her deep green eyes. She blinked several times, trying to control them. Then she felt her body being swayed swiftly to the left. A small cry escaped her chaffed lips. Her frightened eyes surveyed her surroundings. She must be a few feet above the ground. Fire and smoke was everywhere. She could see dead bodies, half-burnt and lying limply on the ground. She could hear children crying, and the painful screams of people running for their lives. Then her eyes rested on what looks like a robot, a few feet in front of her. She gasped. 

"It's that one…the one in my dream…Escaflowne…"

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*


	4. Conflicting Emotions

Escaflowne: The Legacy

By coolpriss

…A girl in search of her identity…a puissance quietly bidding its time…as it awoke, it claimed her…she who lacks in spirit…yet holds their hearts…

****

Conflicting Emotions

"What do you mean '**_she's gone'_**?!" Kenji's dark brown eyes searched her green ones with alarm.

"I'm sure she's safe," Hitomi lied, trying to calm her younger brother. And perhaps herself. "She's…"

"What, she ran away? Why would she do that? She couldn't have eloped?! What happened?"

"No, no…she didn't elope…she didn't _really_ run away either…"

"What do you mean?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing. "Where is she?"

"I--It's…kind of…h--hard…to …to…explain… She…she's--"

"She's there. In the same world you were when you were her age, right?" Kenji cut her off. He started pacing back and forth. "When you disappeared, just like that. You were fifteen too, right? You were there one minute and gone the next. That must be where she is too, right? Right?!"

"Y-yes…Gaea…But I'm sure she's fine…"

"This is nuts! What the heck am I supposed to tell Reika? That we have this 'family curse' and now our daughter's gone?! Damn it!" Kenji cursed between his clenched teeth. "It's a good thing she stayed with her mother for a while, but she's gonna come back. What am I gonna tell her then?!" Then he stopped. "I want her back." He turned to her, his face hard. "I want her back. And I want her back NOW!"

"Kenji…I…"

"I knew this would happen!" Kenji resumed his pacing. "I always knew something was terribly wrong with the girls in our family! I remember mother telling me about what happened to grandmother. The same happened to you. And now, Myaku! She's just fifteen, for goodness' sake!" Ken looked at her, his face looking old and haggard. "Where is she? I want her back!" He neared Hitomi and grabbed her arms. "Find her! Do something! Go back…to wherever that place is…go back and get her!" He shook her, his eyes wild.

"Ken! You're hurting me! Let go!" Hitomi cried, shaking her brother's strong hands off her. "Stop acting as if something bad has happened to her! For all we know, she might be having the time of her life!" Hitomi heard herself add with a tone of jealousy. She looked away, embarrassed at her unexpected burst of emotions.

Kenji smirked. "Oh, so you're jealous now, huh? If you love that place so much, then why did you come back? No, correction. YOU came. The Hitomi **_I_** know never came back. She was replaced instead with a…a clone. A very bitter clone. Oh, sure. At first it seems like nothing changed. But it did. YOU did. You were always staring off to space, like some sort of love-struck teenager. Then, when we told you about it, you started being so touchy. You were always thinking, as if you're trying to decide some life-and-death situation. That's when your clone came in. She couldn't seem to do anything without sighing. She's always sad. Always crying at night. She didn't even marry! I don't want my daughter to end up just like you when she comes back. I don't want her to become bitter like you!"

A hand came flying to his cheek. Tears streaked her pale face. He closed his eyes for a second, then slowly walked out of the room.

Hitomi collapsed, sobbing, the moment the door closed. She cradled her tear-stricken face on the palm of her hands, her whole body shaking. 

"I'm sorry…" she cried. "I'm so sorry…"

~~~***~~~

The guymelef took a shaky step forward, then lurched suddenly to the other side. 

"Heh! This is almost too easy!" Dilandau snickered. He raised the other hand of the Alseides, releasing its metal fingers directly to the staggering Escaflowne.

His attack was blocked by another guymelef, a familiar blue one. 

"Allen Shezar!" Dilandau scowled. "You're always getting in my way!"

"I don't want to hurt you, Dilandau," Allen's muffled voice warned from inside the Sherazade. 

The boy's frown turned into an evil grin. "Oh, yeah? But that doesn't mean _I_ won't kill _you_…DIE, ALLEN SHEZAR!" Flame shot out from the red guymelef.

Escaflowne suddenly rose, only to stumble down again, but bringing the Sherazade down with him, escaping the hot fire by mere seconds.

Dilandau was about to let another one go when he heard a static voice.

"Enough, Dilandau," a male voice boomed through one of the connections. "Bring the girl back."

"Just a few more…" he muttered unconsciously, as he shifted into invisible mode again. Escaflowne stood up unsteadily, sword drawn in front of him, searching desperately for his enemy.

"Now, Dilandau," the stern voice warned. "NOW."

He growled, but followed the command nonetheless. But not before firing hot flames all over the city. "We'll meet again, Allen Shezar!" he managed to scream before soaring back to their floating fortress, followed by his faithful subordinates.

~~~***~~~

"What did you do?!" he asked angrily, as small drops of water fell from the dark sky. "You're not even Crowned Prince yet! How could you have waken Escaflowne?! You have no idea what you got yourself into! And where did you get the drag-energist?" 

"Well, what did you expect me to do?!" he retorted, jumping down from the mecha. The rain was falling faster now. And harder. Clouds of smoke could be seen floating upward, battling the downpour. "The whole city was burning and YOU were nowhere to be found! Some king _you_ are!"

Van sank his fist on his son's face. Basil reeled a few steps back. He wiped the small stream of blood from a corner of his mouth with his damp fist. He looked disgustedly at Van.

"Stop it, you two!" Merle's voice intervened. "This is no time for fighting! Most of the citizens were evacuated, and are now in the palace, but they need help."

"She's right," Allen called out, still inside his guymelef. He lowered the Sherazade's hand. "Hop on."

"No, thanks, I have my own," Basil started to climb his way back to the still lying Escaflowne. 

Van scoffed. "That is if you could learn how to pilot him," he muttered as he himself climbed onto the 'melef's hand. The Sherazade's other arm was a few feet above him, shielding his head from the downpour.

"He was just like you when you were his age, Lord Van," the blue eyed cat woman reminded him with a chuckle, as she jumped in beside the King. "And he was just trying to do what he thought was his duty, as a prince."

Van just folded his hands in front of his bare chest. Nature was doing its best to quench the raging fire eating almost half of Fanelia. Although he wouldn't admit it, he was right. It was his recklessness that destroyed his beloved city once again. He surveyed what was left of his Fanelia. Blood boiled inside him. It took _years_ for his kingdom to regain its splendor. Countless hours of heavy labor. Sweat and blood of the Fanelians were sacrificed to the mend the country that was destroyed by Zaibach. All the money, the hard work--gone with mere minutes that he was away. Then he remembered the girl. She looked so much like Hitomi. 

"Hitomi's niece…" he mumbled unconsciously.

"What?" Merle peered at him. "Lord Van?"

Van was snapped out of his reverie. "The pillar of light brought another girl from the Mystic Moon," he told her. "Hitomi's niece. Myaku Kanzaki."

Merle was speechless for a second. Then she looked at him sadly. "You were there, weren't you, Lord Van? You thought…I'm sorry…" she mumbled, looking away.

"Nonsense," Van tried to sound indifferent. "Allen, we have to rescue her. We owe it to Hitomi." He felt a dagger through his heart when he mentioned her name. 

"You're right," Allen glanced at the King from inside his guymelef. He knew what Van was feeling. But a question was inside his head. _How could we rescue Hitomi's niece without harming my sister?_

~~~***~~~

Her eyelids were heavy. She felt the metal hand holding her limp body release its grasp on her, and she was falling. Her eyes flew open and a scream escaped her dry throat. Then she felt strong arms catch her, stumbling a few moments before standing steadily. She looked frightendly at the young man, before he guided her down on her own feet. He has a ridiculous light pink hair, matched with cold, dark brown eyes, with the slightest flecks of gold. He was wearing a blue armor, just like the others beside him. She was still a little light-headed, and was blinking rapidly when she noticed someone stop in front of her. She looked up, only to find her face inches away from a young man with silver hair and blood red eyes. Her own emerald ones widened, and she took a few surprised steps back. She stumbled and fell hard on her bottom. She realized she was still holding her backpack. She glanced up meekly at the young man in a red armor in front of her, who was now laughing hard. She quickly stood up, holding her bag close. He stopped laughing and studied her for a moment. Then his eyes narrowed.

"Wait a minute…you're not the same girl!" he exclaimed. He moved around her, studying her closely. "You have the same clothes, same hair," he muttered as he stopped in front of her. "BUT YOU'RE NOT HER!" He slammed the palm of his hand on the pale face of the bewildered girl. She heard a vein snap when her head was turned suddenly to her right. She stumbled a few steps before landing back down on her rear. Her breath came in small gasps. She didn't dare move.

"Is that any way to treat a lady, Dilandau?" a male voice chided.

Dilandau scowled at the dark purple-haired man who knelt in front of Myaku, offering her his hand. "A very beautiful lady, at that." He smiled, his amber eyes showing no signs of real warmth. 

Myaku hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand on top of his palm, allowing him to help her up. "You," he pointed to the men in line, "Escort the lady to her quarters, at the right wing. She is to be treated as a guest, and not a prisoner," he said pointedly.

"Yes, Lord Janus," they replied in one voice.

Myaku looked curiously at the man, who turned his back on her and was talking quietly to Dilandau, who was still eyeing her. 

"This way," the man with the pink hair told her, holding her by the elbow. She nodded and walked silently, surrounded by the young men in blue armors. 

~~~***~~~

She heard a voice. It was a soft voice of a woman, and she was singing. She opened her eyes, but she couldn't see anything. She was surrounded by darkness. She listened closely to find the direction of the voice. She looked at her left. Then a strong light burst out, momentarily blinding her. She shielded her eyes with her hands and half-closed them. Then the light slowly turned to normal. She opened her eyes, and dropped her hand to her sides. Then she gasped. She was inside a pink sphere, on top of the highest building of the city. She could see everything that was happening down. But what surprised her was not what was below her; she stared at the beings above her. 

__

…Angels…Is this…heaven?…Am I dead?… 

Then her emerald eyes widened. In one quick movement, darkness enveloped the whole city. She saw the glorious beings fall down, one by one, to the ground. Darkness was eating up the whole area, destroying homes and buildings, and killing every living creature. Her hand went up to her mouth, to stifle a scream. She closed her eyes, in a blink, and when she opened them, a new sight was before her.

It was the same place; she was still in the same tower. But below her, she saw her aunt, at age fifteen, at the gate of the destroyed city. She was reading the inscriptions as if they were her native tongue. Then a fog covered her view. _Aunt Hitomi!_ She tried to call out to her aunt, but she couldn't see anything. She pressed the palm of her hands onto the pink crystal surrounding her, trying to free herself. But she moved them away, as if burnt, when the glass around her started to glow. She looked around her in panic, but saw nothing but the glowing crystal. She felt a hot light envelope her body, once again floating in air. She closed her eyes, and allowed the light to take her. Then she felt the warm light disappear, replaced by the cold darkness. She opened her eyes, and found herself in front of a woman with her back turned on her. She couldn't see her face, but she could hear her voice. It was the same voice. The one singing. She couldn't understand her song; she couldn't hear it clearly. Then the woman faced her. As she did, a pair of red wings erupted from her back. 

__

You're the Key…

Myaku searched the face of the woman, but saw none. All she could see was a blurred form of a woman with long dark hair and dark red wings. 

__

You're the Key…

What? What do you mean? Myaku stepped closer to the woman, hoping to see her more clearly. But nothing changed.

__

You're the Final Key…

Then she heard other voices. Singing the same song. She looked around but saw no one. She turned her eyes back at the woman in front of her, but found nothing but darkness. And a blood red feather, floating above her. She stretched her arm, following the feather with her gaze as it slowly descended onto her palm. But the moment its light material brushed her fingertips, everything went black.

~~~***~~~

She opened her eyes slowly. Light was spilling from the velvet curtains. Then her eyes focused on something in front of her. Her eyes widened, and she bolted up into sitting position. 

Deep red eyes were watching her silently. They stayed like that, staring at her deep green ones, for a few seconds, and then they closed. The woman stood from a chair beside Myaku's bed, her long jet-black hair flowing behind her. 

"I brought in your breakfast," she said in a soft voice. "I shall return later." 

Myaku looked at her, noticing for the first time a red symbol on her forehead, partly hidden by her ebony bangs. It was composed of two lines: a long vertical one, and a shorter horizontal, intersected at a point, slightly above the middle of the vertical line, forming a cross. 

__

No, it's not a cross…

Three of the edges of the lines were rounded, but the lower part of the plumb line was pointed. 

__

It's a dagger…

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*


	5. The Empire Reborn

Escaflowne: The Legacy

By coolpriss

…A girl in search of her identity…a puissance quietly bidding its time…as it awoke, it claimed her…she who lacks in spirit…yet holds their hearts…

****

The Empire Reborn

"I would advise you to stay here in your room for the time being," she told her quietly, with that melodious voice of hers. "Master Janus may want to see you later." She bowed lightly, then turned and left the room.

She stared at the closed door for a little while before looking around her room. It was huge--on her right was a long wall of shelf filled with thick, leather-bound books, with a small door at the end, which was probably her bathroom. On her left was a large glass window, half-covered with thick, dark drapery, allowing only little light inside her dark room. Beside the window was a long, dark table with elaborate carvings, and a chair, with an identical design. On top of the writing desk was a gold-and-silver candleholder, similar to the luxurious chandelier hanging above the room, as well as the torches on the four corners of the room. Her four-poster bed was in the center right of the room, and beside her was a small table, matching the longer one, with her breakfast on top. 

She got down from her soft bed and made her way to the window. She pushed the heavy, velvet curtains aside, letting the blinding rays of the sun inside. She shielded her eyes for a moment, then searched the outside. She couldn't see anything but the sky. She leaned closer to the window, looking down this time, and saw lush, green land that seem to stretch forever. 

She frowned. "I'm in an aircraft of some sort?" she murmured. She walked back to her bed. She sat down, pulling her legs up. She glanced at the food laid on top of the table. "I'm not really hungry…" she hugged her knees. "I wonder what they're doing right now…maybe they're getting ready for school…do they even know I'm gone?…What would mom and dad think?…How would aunt Hitomi explain this to them…I don't even understand what's going on…oh, aunt Hitomi…please help me…I wanna go home…" She rested her forehead on her knees. Tears were falling from her emerald eyes. "I just wanna go home…" she whispered, as she wiped her damp cheeks on the sleeve of her uniform.

~~~***~~~

The basement of the palace was bustling with people. Injured. Crying. People with torn and half-burnt clothes, caught off-guard by the surprise attack of the enemy. The Palace of Fanelia was rebuilt with a special basement structure intended for this kind of emergency. The huge empty hall that was specially allocated for the evacuated Fanelians was now filled with cots, blankets, and lots of tired and downhearted people. Miraculously, the castle was barely touched. Only the uppermost part was wrecked, but the rest of the building remained intact. 

"Your Highness," he touched the man's back, bent in front of a crying young girl. "It is best if you rest for now. You need some sleep." 

Van didn't even look up. Instead, he talked to the sobbing girl. "It's okay, little one. We'll find your mother…"

Large, watery green eyes looked up at him. They searched his reddish-brown ones, looking for any sign of assurance. He smiled softly at her. The child's eyes shone with trust and hope as he wiped away her tears. 

"Promise?" she whispered.

"Promise."

"And my dolly too?"

Van smiled. He nodded.

"My King…" the adviser tried again, this time with a more urgent voice. "Please…you need to rest…"

Van was about to mutter something back when someone kneeled beside him. Merle smiled warmly at the young girl. She extended her hand (or was that supposed to be a paw?! ^.^ ) slowly towards her. The child looked at her reluctantly at first, then reached for her hand. 

"Don't worry, everything's going to be fine," Merle reassured her, kissing lightly the soft, red hair of the little girl. The young one nodded.

Van looked at them for a while with understanding. 

"Hubert is right, Lord Van," Merle turned to him. "You go and get some rest. We'll take care of them."

Van rubbed his tired eyes, with dark patches underneath them. He stood up and glanced at his faithful adviser. "Alright," he murmured. He looked back at the two girls behind him. Merle nodded, and the little girl smiled. The old face of their king lit up for a second, then he turned and walked back towards the main hall of the castle.

~~~***~~~

"What do you think of her, Candella?" he asked her as she entered the huge laboratory of the ship. He turned and looked at her, his golden eyes watching her carefully.

"She's the one, " the woman replied as she glided her way to the sorcerer's table and set the tray down. "But it may take a while…"

He smiled. "Time is not necessarily a problem," he stood and walked near the beautiful woman. "As long as everything gets done perfectly." He reached out to touch her long, shiny black hair when another man entered the room from the other side. He let his arm drop to his side as he eyed the bald sorcerer with small, beady eyes warily.

"What is it, Senna?" he ran a hand over his yellow eyes, trying to mask his annoyance.

"The girl from the Mystic Moon," the small sorcerer in a dark cloak began, with his high-pitched voice. "How are we to be convinced that she is the one we have long been waiting for?"

"The evidence you wish to see shall manifest itself soon enough," came the cold reply.

The man's small dark eyes regarded the taller, indigo haired sorcerer, before looking quaintly at the meek woman, staring at the floor.

"Very well," the old man's dark robe swept the cold, metal floor of the laboratory as he made his way to his desk, passing in front of the couple. 

"If you have no more orders, my Lord, I shall proceed to my duties," he heard the quiet voice of the beautiful woman address the head sorcerer.

Janus closed his eyes and nodded.

~~~***~~~

"Escaflowne never answered to a summon not made by a King of Fanelia before," the familiar voice cut through his thoughts. He glanced at his side, as the man he regarded as his father almost all his life stepped beside him. 

"Guess there's always a first time," he muttered, pawing the dark spot on his left cheek, his gaze turned back on the legendary guymelef. 

"How did you get an energist, anyway?" Van continued, ignoring his tone.

The boy remained silent for a while. Finally, he sighed. "I got it when I killed a dragon, not long ago," he grumbled. "Now, don't go yelling at me," he added quickly. "It was only self-defense. I was passing by when I heard a couple of girls near the forest scream. Naturally, I went to investigate and that's when I saw the dragon attacking them. I had to kill it."

"Dragons don't usually attack people," Van frowned. "They only strike when provoked or in defense."

Basil shrugged. "Don't look at me. It was already raging mad when I got there. Ask those girls, if you're going to lose sleep over it."

"How long ago was this?" Van inquired, still uncertain on how that was possible.

"Two or three weeks ago."

__

About the same time I thought I saw Zaibach's floating fortress near Fanelia. Van's eyes lit with alarm. "Or when their territory is threatened," referring to the dragons. "I knew it," he murmured. "They're back. And they're out to destroy Gaea again."

~~~***~~~

"Homesick?"

Myaku's tear-stained face shot up from its rest on her knees. Her eyes studied the dark figure as it stepped closer. It was the man. The man with the expressionless, handsome face.

Myaku hugged her legs more tightly as the man took another step towards her. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you…" he cooed. He glanced at the window and started to walk near it. "How do you like Gaea so far?" he turned to her.

"I…,"her voice squeaked. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I…wanna go home…"

"I'm afraid that's not easy, my Lady," he smiled his usual cool smile. "But you can make the Vione your home for now." He stepped closer to her. "We'll take care of you…you mustn't worry about a thing…, but we may need your help at times…would you help us?" He looked at her, his amber eyes piercing through her very soul. 

Unsure what to make out of the situation, Myaku nodded uncertainly. The small smile returned on the man's lips, and he started to make his way to the door. 

Upon reaching the door, he looked back at her. "As I said, the Vione is your home from now on. You are to be treated as a guest. You are free to do whatever it is you want. If anyone bothers you, tell them that you're my personal guest. If you need anything, you can talk to Candella. She'll be the one taking care of you." He bowed lightly and left her alone in that room.

Her head once again dropped on her knees. "I still wanna go home…please aunt Hitomi…take me back home…"

~~~***~~~

Dilandau watched from his throne as his men formed a single file before him. Janus has put him in charge of all their forces, and also a Captain of one squad. The best and most elite among all the other units. He sneered as the thought passed his mind. _The best, huh? Nobody could be better than my Dragonslayers!_

He stood up and walked to the nearest boy. He has an irritating pink hair and Dilandau recognized him as the messenger. _Just like Gatti…_"But NOBODY can replace GATTI!" he slapped the young man with tremendous force, he almost fell to the ground. "Or SHESTA…," Dilandau moved on, slapping the next one, with sandy hair and bright blue eyes. "Or MIGEL…" the act was repeated, as Dilandau screamed one by one the names of his dead comrades. 

As his rage subsided, he turned to the men, all of which have identical red marks on their left cheeks. "Our next target is Asturia," he paced in front of the bowed heads. "We are going to attack Palas first, then Freid. You," Dilandau pointed at the pink-haired man at the end of the line. "Tell all the other Generals of our plan. We are to leave the Vione tomorrow afternoon. Prepare until then." The silver-haired captain/commander faced his men. He narrowed his deep red eyes. "Are my orders understood?" his voice took an unexpected soft turn.

"Sir!" the young men screamed. Dilandau smirked and unconsciously started caressing the scar on his right cheek. "You are to obey orders from no one but me, is that clear?"

"Not…not even from Lord Janus, s-sir?" a soft, shaking voice asked. Dilandau narrowed his eyes again and searched for the owner of the voice. It was the sandy haired one. He reminded him of someone…_Shesta…_He stared menacingly at the bright blue orbs for a while before slapping him again. Twice. Dilandau brought his face inches from the boy. "You are under my _Direct_ command. You are to obey orders from no one but _Me_. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD OR DO I HAVE TO REPEAT IT AGAIN?!" his hand struck the young man's cheek again. 

"Yes, sir! No, sir!" the shaking subordinate stammered.

Dilandau stood up straight, eyeing the other men. "Good. Now go!" He made his way back to his throne as his men scuttled nervously through the door. "Stupid fools," he muttered before resting down on his seat. 

~~~***~~~

"He hits us as if we're just some mosquitoes on his neck," the dark blue eyed soldier grumbled, caressing his bloated left cheek.

"Stop whining, you big baby," another soldier in blue armor shot him an irritated look. "You should be thankful you got only one lousy slap! Riel here got three more and he's not even complaining."

"Yeah, well, in case you haven't noticed, he's face is so swollen he can't even talk!" he retorted, his hand smoothing his chin-length blond hair, tied at the nape of his head, with a few strands hanging loose around his handsome face.

"What did he call you, Gnu?" the said boy tried to change the topic, knowing that the two would have additional black and blue marks on their faces within a few minutes. "Guimel?"

"No," the young man replied, shifting his annoyed light green eyes to him. "It's Migel. I think Emil was the one called Guimel."

"Yeah," the boy with thick, dark brown curls and gray eyes called out from behind. "That was me. I wonder where he got those names anyway."

"His men before us," a quiet voice joined the conversation. "They were called the Dragonslayers. They're all dead." 

"How did you know, Keal?" Riel asked slowly, his cheek getting number by the second. 

The pink-haired man just shrugged. "Rumors."

"I wonder why he keeps on calling me Guimel. Maybe I look like the guy." Then he shuddered. "Why are we talking about dead people anyway?"

"One thing's for sure," Takka, the one with the blond ponytail declared. "This Guimel guy has got to have straight hair. I do believe that you're the only one in the whole of Gaea with that kind of hair. Well, except for sheep of course!"

"At least it's not pink!" Emil retorted without thinking. "Oops. Sorry, Keal…"

"Ha! You got that right, man!" Takka roared with laughter. "Pink! Of all colors…!" 

Keal's golden brown eyes stared blankly at him for a while, before disappearing wordlessly into the hallway, leading to the control room. 

"He is one weird guy…" Emil looked at Riel, and the sandy-haired boy just shrugged. Gnu fixed the guffawing Takka a pointed stare. "Shut up, you ugly jerk!" 

The blond stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes. "What did you just call me? Ugly…?!"

"What, are you deaf as well as ug--"

"What do you think of the captive?" Riel asked loudly as he grabbed Gnu's arm, cutting him off.

"Yeah," Emil chimed in, grabbing Takka's arm as well. "I think she's pretty cute. Wonder why she's here, though. Is she really from the Mystic Moon? What do you think…" 

~~~***~~~

__

Help…

Her eyes flew open. She couldn't see anything but darkness.

**__**

What was that? Who's there?

Please…No…

It was a voice of a little girl. Slowly, light was surrounding her. She tried to focus on the blurred images in front of her. 

__

No…

She felt her mouth open. The voice came from her, but it wasn't hers. She could feel tears on her cheeks. She tried to move, but she couldn't. No matter how hard she tired, her body wouldn't stir. It was as if the body wasn't hers.

__

Aaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!

She felt her whole body jerk forward as the sharp pain of a needle shot through her left arm. She felt her heartbeat accelerate as the fluid mixed with her own blood. Her head was spinning. Her muscles ached--no, they throbbed. She could feel her mouth open as her lungs searched for more air. She felt her body slowly going numb. Then a scene suddenly flashed on her mind. It was a butterfly. She was trying to catch it. She thought she heard a voice from behind her. Then everything went black.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

A/N: There you have it. The first five chapters. What do you think? Thanks for reading and please, please review!! ;P


End file.
